A Deal With The Devil
by justanoutlaw
Summary: When her car is repossessed due to her father's stupidity, Lacey has to make a deal with Mr. Gold.
1. Chapter 1

"How could you?!" Lacey exploded. Normally, she would just ignore her father. She was forced to live with him until she could fork over the money for her own apartment. This time, he had gone too far.

"I had nothing else to put up for collateral," Moe said, taking a swig of his beer. "I was already using my van for the shop."

"But that was my car!"

"I put the down payment on it."

"And I've made the rest!"

"You can walk or take the bus. Either way, just get out of my face."

Lacey swallowed, trying to do all she could to not go off on him further.

Walk away, just walk away. He's not worth it.

She had woken up that morning to find a bald man in a tow truck dragging away her baby blue Jaguar. Her father had gifted it to her for her 18th birthday, on the condition that she'd make the remaining payments. Little did she know, he had put it up as collateral for one of his many loans. They were so far behind on the bills and no matter how many shifts she pulled at Granny's and the Rabbit Hole, they never seemed to catch up.

Moe was lousy when it came to business. Sure, people always bought flowers, but he squandered his money on beer and scratchers, rather than things he should. It was why Lacey had to drop out of college. It was embarrassing as hell to be pulled out of class to be told that her tuition check had bounced. She was forced to pack up her dorm and move back to the depressingly small Storybrooke.

That was nearly 6 years ago and she was forced to clean up her father's messes, even to this day. Only this time, it was affecting her. Storybrooke was such a small town that busses rarely ran and her jobs were too far to walk on foot. She needed to get her car back, which meant facing Gold.

The thought caused a chill to run down her spine. Everyone knew Gold, the ruthless landlord who gave no second chances. Making a deal with him was like making a deal with the devil himself. Anyone who truly did was desperate. Moe constantly was, in order to keep a roof over their heads.

Now, it was Lacey who was desperate.

Pushing herself up, she grabbed the keys to her father's van and drove it into town, parking in front of the pawn shop. Gold was a man of many hats, it would seem. Not only was he a landlord, but he owned the pawn shop and had a law degree. It made him feared, he could probably make anyone disappear if he really wanted them to and it was rumored he already had.

Holding her head up high, Lacey strutted into the shop. She didn't have anything presentable for a business transaction, so she was wearing a black mini-skirt paired with fishnet stockings and a black tank top. Her eyes trained on Bruce Gold, who always looked like a million bucks in his designer suits. He looked up at her, nodding.

"Miss French, I've been expecting you."

That caught her off guard. They barely knew each other, only speaking the rare times she was home or at the shop when he collected rent. "You have?"

"I'm not a moron, I knew when your father offered up that car as collateral that it was yours."

"And yet you let him put it up?"

"He put down the down payment."

Lacey let out an irritated sigh. "Yes, but unlike my father, I pay my debts. I've been paying off that car for the past 6 years. It's mine. I want it back."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, at least not until your father puts a decent chunk in the money he owes me. He's behind on rent for both your house and the shop, along with his payments on his van and other loans."

"Maybe that's your own fault for loaning him so much money. You should know by now what a deadbeat he is," Lacey fired back, feeling brave.

Gold raised an eyebrow, it wasn't often that people spoke back to him with such gusto. Gripping onto his cane, he made his way around the counter.

"I do suppose it's unfair that you are without a car," he mused. "After all, as you said, you are not like him."

Lacey drew a deep breath. "So, you'll give me my car back?"

"Not quite. You see, at the end of the day, it was still his collateral. It wouldn't look right to the other citizens if I just gave you your car back."

She knew this was coming. "You want something?"

His eyebrows knitted together. "How did you guess?"

"As you've pointed out, you have a reputation."

"Suppose I do."

"So, what is it you want?" She stepped forward, puffing out her chest. "Perhaps a little bit of fun in the loft upstairs?"

"You'd be willing to have sex with a stranger for your car?"

"I need it back. I have work tomorrow."

"And that what you think it's worth? Me fucking you?"

"Everyone has a price."

"Aye."

Gold looked her up and down, a small smile going across his face.

"Time is money," he said. "I would be willing to forgive the debt your father owes over his current loan and return the car he put up as collateral if you attend an event with me."

"An event? You wouldn't rather just have sex with me?"

"That would last a few minutes at the most, I'd have you for the whole night in this case."

Lacey bit her lip. She suppose she should count her lucky stars. One night at a stuffy event, versus a few minutes of discomfort. "What kind of event is this?"

"The town is trying to fix the bridge, it's a charity auction."

"I think I heard about that."

"Wonderful. It's tomorrow evening, I'll pick you up at 6."

"I have to work."

"Which location?"

"Granny's."

"I'll talk to Miss Lucas and have someone cover your shift. Wear something appropriate and you'll have your car back by Monday morning."

"This is really all you want?" Lacey asked, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Surely you could scare someone else into going with you."

Gold tilted his head. "Ah, but maybe I don't want someone else."

For the first time in a long time, Lacey felt a blush creep up on her cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

Lacey stared at her phone, blinking a few times.

Miss French, I'm sorry but I have to cancel our plans for tomorrow evening. I will arrange for your car to be delivered to you and we can work out another way for me to get my money's worth.

She wasn't sure what she was more surprised about, the fact that Bruce Gold knew how to text or that he was blowing her off. He had gone out of his way to make sure Granny gave her the night off (not an easy task in the slightest) and even gone as calling her to assure she could get her car after the evening was through. She had gone to the thrift store and found a dress suitable for the occasion. It was only twenty bucks, but now it was twenty she couldn't get back.

At first, Lacey was glad. She could think of a million other things she'd rather do the next evening, maybe she could even ask Granny for her shift back. She got the text around 10, so after her spiked tea, she headed to bed, only to find that she couldn't sleep.

Why was Gold cancelling on her? Had he thought it over and realized that there was no way he could bring someone like her to an event? Did he doubt her ability to pick out a proper dress or to behave in such a setting? Sure, she had a reputation, but she wasn't an animal, she had been to proper affairs such as that before her mother died. Collette had been head librarian and threw several soirees for her friends. It had actually been her death that caused Lacey's downfall to begin with.

Lacey had spent far too much time not feeling good enough for anyone and had finally thought she was over it. Normally, if someone didn't like her, she just said "Fuck it" and moved on. She accepted that she and her father would never go back to the relationship they had before Collette died. She accepted that she would never quite be the type to hang out with her twin sister's friends.

Yet, she couldn't accept that she wasn't good enough for Gold. He was a recluse, he was almost like her some ways. Feared, perhaps misunderstood. What kind of person did he want?

Why wasn't she it? And why did it bother her that she was?

Lacey didn't get a wink of sleep all night, which only lead to her being grumpy the following morning. It only got worse when she called Granny to offer to take her shift back, only to find out that it was being covered by another waitress. She couldn't recoup the money for the dress or what she would've gotten during her shift. Even the Rabbit Hole was too overstaffed for her to pick up a shift there.

That was it, she decided. It was Saturday and her father was sleeping off a hangover, so she grabbed the keys to his delivery van and headed into town. She was surprised to find that the pawn shop was closed, as was the office that Gold ran his law practice out of. That wasn't like him at all. It was rumored that he probably slept in the back of his shop, but a quick Google search proved her wrong. Storybrooke was a small town and there was only one Bruce Gold, so she plugged the address into her GPS and headed off towards his house.

When she arrived, she had to do a double take and tripe check the address that came up. She had been expecting a much darker house, one of those that children were dared to visit on Halloween. She thought he'd live on the top of a hill, with crows circling around it and a big Doberman out front to keep away intruders.

Instead, she parked the van in front of a salmon pink house. There were two bikes up against the garage, one resembling a child's. What was that doing there

She headed up the pathway that was paved between the meticulously cut lawn and up the porch, banging on the door. A moment later it opened and she paused before she started her rant. She was so used to seeing Gold in designer suits, that it was a bit of a shock to find him in a beat up Cambridge University t-shirt and checkered pajama pants. He tilted his head himself upon seeing Lacey.

"Miss French, what are you doing here?"

Lacey quickly reminded herself the purpose of the visit. "Why did you call off our date?"

"I hardly see why that is any of your concern."

"I'd say it is! Because of you, I'm losing a day's work! I went out and bought a dress for the event, it's not as if I'm swimming with cash!"

Gold sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll compensate you for your shift, along with the dress, take it off what you owe me for the car…"

"It's not just about the money!" Lacey chewed on her bottom lip, hating feeling so vulnerable. "What did I do to make you so opposed to me? Did you not trust me to get a suitable dress? Or to act properly in front of your friends?"

Gold's face fell. "I assure you, it wasn't that at all. I know you, Miss French. You'd never embarrass me, purposefully or otherwise."

"Then why? Why would you call off our date? I want a good reason!"

Before either could realize what she had just called their plans, a tiny voice called out from behind Gold. "Papa?"

Gold turned around and Lacey's mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her. There stood a small child, no older than 5 years old with a mess of dark curls and Gold's eyes. He was rubbing them furiously with one fist, as his other clutched a tiny bear. The little one was still in his pajamas and looked as exhausted as Lacey felt.

"Look who's up," Gold said in a pitch Lacey had never heard before. "I'll be right with you, sweetheart. Go into the kitchen, how do pancakes sound?"

"Why is that lady shouting at you, Papa? Who is she?"

"This is just Miss French. She and Papa had a bit of a misunderstanding, but not to worry, everything is fine."

The little boy nodded. "Okay. Please don't yell at my papa, Miss French."

Lacey stood there dumbstruck for a second before swallowing. "I'm sorry," she offered.

"It's okay." With that, he headed into the kitchen and Gold turned back to face her.

"My son, Baelfire, we call him Bae," Gold explained.

"I didn't know you had a child," she said, softly.

"Only a few people do, mostly just the Nolans since Emma is his age. My ex wife and I had him shortly before our divorce. She won full custody after and I mostly saw him on weekends, but last night she dropped him off here, permanently for the foreseeable future. It seems that her new boyfriend isn't much of a kid's person."

Lacey frowned, the whole situation hitting a tad too close to home. "I'm sorry, that's awful. I'm sure you realize I know a thing or two about shitty parents."

"Aye." Gold slightly nodded. "I'm sorry, too, Miss French. I have to get Baelfire acclimated to living in Storybrooke full time, along with working on filing for full custody. I don't have time for the ball this evening, but I assure you…it had nothing to do with you personally."

Lacey nodded. "Of course. Look, I'm sure I can just find a way to rack up the money…"

"Don't…don't worry about it," Gold said, shaking his head. "As I told you via text, I'll have your car dropped off to you. Forget the debt, it's your father's fault. Not yours."

"Oh." She suddenly felt disappointed, she had sort of been looking forward to their date. "Well, look. I already have a dress, so maybe we could hang out again some other time."

"Miss French, you don't…"

"You said that Baelfire is good friends with Emma, I'm sure Mary Margaret could be convinced to care for both children for the evening."

A small smile appeared on Gold's face.

"The pleasure would be mine, then."

Baelfire's voice rang from the kitchen. "Papa!"

"You better go, you have a hungry boy on your hands," Lacey said with a smirk before heading off to the van.


	3. Chapter 3

Lacey sat at Aesop's nursing her fireball punch, desperately wishing that she could afford something stronger. Many were surprised that most nights she preferred the quieter bar to the one she worked, but it was a nice place to clear her head and that was just what she needed. As long as Keith didn't find out, she'd be okay. (Not that she even cared about his fucking opinion, she told herself, despite knowing she needed the job.)

April was quickly approaching, which meant that tax season was as well. With her father's "creative accounting", it was always hell. He was still on a payment plan from the year before and was going to be even more screwed, as he hadn't learned his lesson. Lacey knew she should just let him suffer, but until she could afford to get her own place, she had to make sure that he didn't squander the rent money away.

Aurora had invited her to a party at her place, but she wasn't in the mood. She loved her twin, they were all each other had in the crazy world that was being a French. At the same time, it was hard for Lacey not to envy her. Aurora had gotten better grades, so when Moe screwed up with the college payments, it didn't matter. She was there on a scholarship, she could stay as long as she wanted. Lacey was intelligent, at one point the top of her class. That all changed after her mother died.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She looked up to find Bruce Gold sliding on the stool next to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had some business to attend to. Now, I believe I asked you a question first."

Lacey rolled her eyes before letting out a sigh. "I just spent my whole day off helping my dad fix his taxes." Gold shook his head, tsking a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry, is Mr. Shady against taxes?"

"Believe it or not, Miss French, I am one of the few affluent men that see the benefit behind paying them. My annoyance was more at you helping your father, haven't you done that enough?"

"All I've done to get back my car is for my own good. That thing is my baby."

"I know how you feel. I love Baelfire, but my Cadillac is probably my second child."

"Then you see my point."

"I fail to see how the taxes are comparable, though."

"It's not as if I can afford to live anywhere else," she pointed out. "A waitress' salary isn't exactly raking in the cash. Places around here aren't cheap, rumor has it the douche landlord has sky high prices."

Gold smirked. "They're reflective of what the properties are worth."

"Either way, I gave you my excuse. Now, what business could you possibly have to attend to here?"

"I was meeting a client, they preferred to come here than my office. I prefer it to the other bar in town, anyway."

"The Hole's not too bad."

"It's a dump. I'm surprised the people who eat there don't die from food poisoning."

"No one goes there for the food, trust me."

"Just the allure of the pretty bartender, then?"

Blush crept up on Lacey's cheeks and she took Gold in. He was wearing a suit, but all she could think of was him in those pajamas from the other day. Oh, how she wondered what he'd look like in less…

She leaned forward and kissed him, taking in the intoxicating scent of his cologne as she did. He immediately deepened it for a moment before pulling away and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What was that for?"

"I had a long day and I just need to unwind."

Lacey was used to hookups, she had plenty of them throughout her life. Gold was different, though. She hadn't known what to expect when he asked her to meet him at his house in 20 minutes. By the time she had arrived, his sitter was gone and he assured her that Baelfire was sound asleep. She followed him through the beautifully decorated house, up to the master bedroom.

The kissing had resumed again and soon, their clothes were scattered on the floor. The kisses were spread out all over her body, slowly. He was passionate and so gentle.

Is this what making love feels like? She wondered to herself. She had only ever fucked, meaningless sex. Yet, with Gold…Jesus Christ, you're overthinking it. You barely know this man.

Of all the ways to end her night, this certainly hadn't been it, but suddenly her mind wasn't on the taxes anymore.

She had orgasmed for fuck's sake. She couldn't remember the last time she had a real, proper orgasm.

"I am so glad we didn't waste that on getting my car back," she panted as she fell down onto the sheets beside him.

Gold chuckled, shaking his head. "This is why I do not mix business with pleasure. I prefer to think of this experience as priceless."

She snorted. "You think awfully high of yourself."

"I'm right, though, aren't I?"

"Maybe."

She rolled over to kiss him again, when the door opened. Without thinking about it, Lacey jumped under the bed, her heart racing. She listened to Gold pull on his robe and get out of bed, mumbling something to his son about sleepwalking again. She watched as their feet shuffled out of the room, letting out a deep breath. How close had they been to permanently scarring the poor boy for life?

While he settled Bae back down, Lacey climbed out from under the bed and put her dress back on. Gold returned a moment later, turning the light on. They adjusted to the sudden brightness, their eyes soon meeting.

"That was close," she said.

Gold nodded. "I don't know what I was thinking, bringing here."

Lacey swallowed. "Oh?"

"Not like that. I mean…" He threw his hands in the air. "This isn't how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to have dinner, at a nice restaurant. Bae was supposed to be with a sitter and then you…you kissed me!"

"You're mad at me for kissing you?"

"Not mad, just…you've turned my life on its head, Lacey French. It'd be infuriating if you weren't so damn attractive."

She smirked. "Well look, I wish I could say I don't normally do this…go home with guys that I meet in a bar…but this is the first time I've had a guy's son walk in on us."

"Bae used to sleepwalk, but I thought he outgrew it."

"Obviously next time, we'll have to make sure that he's not home."

"Next time?"

"You said you had a whole night planned, I'd rather like to get a use out of the dress I bought for your gala."

He nodded, a smile tugging on his lips. "It's a date."


	4. Chapter 4

"Can I come with you tonight?"

Bruce paused tying his tie to look down at his son. "I'm afraid not, son."

"Why not? I want to go to the zoo."

"The zoo? I'm not going to the zoo."

"Yes you are. I heard you telling Mary Margaret that you're going to see deaf leopards."

Bruce blinked a few times, doing his best not to laugh. Sometimes Bae seemed wise beyond his years, others he was reminded just how young he really was. Looking back, it was an assumption that most kids would jump to and if Bruce was being honest, he almost wished he was taking Lacey to the zoo. He wasn't a huge fan of rock (he was much more a classical man), but it was her favorite band and it was their first date, if one could call it that. They weren't going for the car anymore, it was just to have some fun.

Truth be told, as long as he was her, he'd have the time of his life. Even if he'd have a migraine for the next few days as a result.

"I'm not going to see deaf leopards," Bruce explained. "I'm going to see Def Leppard, it's a band."

"Oh." Bae's face scrunched up. "That's a silly name."

"I agree, but they're Miss French's favorite."

"I like Miss French, she's very pretty."

Bruce cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Indeed."

He had his eye on Lacey ever since she came back to town from college. He had recently moved to Storybrooke after his divorce and was just trying to start over. She was beautiful, had a great laugh. Yet, he knew his bounds. He was a divorced man, nearing 40. There was no way that a 20-year-old would want anything to do with him. Besides, Lacey spent most of her time working or in and out of bars. He wasn't one to judge, but that wasn't quite the lifestyle he wanted to lead. He hated crowds, it was why he was dreading the concert.

Milah had loved concerts, shows, the like. Part of their divorce had been due to his panic attacks and overwhelming anxiety. She had found someone who could keep up with her pace and made it clear how much happier she was with him. Bruce didn't feel inferior to Killian in the slightest, but it made him worry about Lacey.

He wouldn't pretend to be someone he wasn't, but a part of relationships were compromise and if theirs had a chance of even starting, he had to. That all started with this concert. The way Lacey's eyes lit up as soon as he showed her the tickets proved he had made the right choice.

After dropping Bae off at the Nolans, he drove over to Lacey's. Gripping his cane, he made his way up the path and knocked on the door. He was quite surprised to find not Lacey or Moe on the other side of the door, but someone he hadn't seen before. She looked about Lacey's age, auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. She smirked upon seeing him, shaking her head.

"Lace, your date is here!"

"And you are?"

"Aurora French, Lacey's twin. She didn't tell you about me?"

"We just met. I was aware Moe had two daughters, I just never see you around town."

"I try to stay as far away from Storybrooke as possible but when I heard Lacey had a date, a real date-not just screwing Keith-I knew I had to come help her."

"Geez, Ror, you make me sound like a shut in."

Bruce looked up and saw Lacey coming down the stairs. He had to do his best to not let his mouth drop open. He was used to seeing her in all black or deep reds. That night, however, she was wearing a skin tight blue dress that showed off every curve. It was the same color as her eyes and complimented her very well.

"Excuse my sister, I know this isn't really a date…" Lacey said, clearly oblivious to his staring. "It's…complicated."

"You're beautiful." The words escaped his mouth before he could help it and she cocked an eyebrow. "I mean…the dress…it's quite beautiful. It matches your eyes."

Lacey grinned. "Thank you."

"Have fun, you crazy kids," Aurora said. "Do things that I definitely wouldn't do."

"Goodbye Aurora." Lacey slid her feet in some high heels and they walked out the door. "Sorry. She means well…she's just…too excited. I can't wait for her girlfriend to get back from China, then she'll stop focusing on me."

"It's nice to have someone care for you," Bruce replied, opening the door to his car and watching her get in. He went around to his side, pulling out of the driveway. "To be quite honest, I didn't have that again until my son came back to live with me. He selected my tie."

Lacey took it in, smiling. "It's nice, though I think you may be the only one at the concert with one."

"The clothes make the man, I think my son is learning that at a young age." He cleared his throat, hoping he wasn't sounding too stuck up. "He actually thought we were going to the zoo, he heard me talking about the band name and…"

She burst out laughing and it was perhaps the sweetest sound he had ever heard. "I've only met your son once, but he is officially my new favorite person."

That fueled Bruce's ability to keep it together as they drove to the concert. They slowly got to know one another, though they definitely didn't share too much. It wasn't long until they pulled up to the arena and went through the turnstile. Bruce was doing well in the beginning as they slid into their seats. There were a lot of people, but it didn't seem to be too bad. If anything, he could blame his leg when he needed a breather to sit it out.

Then the concert started. It was loud, much louder than he had expected. He had listened to their music to get him ready, but quickly realized his sound system was nothing compared to the professional amps provided. His face grew pale as the people got closer together, shouting and singing along with the lyrics. Lacey was having the time of her life clearly and he felt terrible. Knowing better than to disturb her, he made his way out of his seat (glad he had claimed the aisle) and headed for the aisle.

It didn't take long for Lacey to figure that Gold was gone and at first, she figured he had snuck off to the bathroom. After a few more songs, she got worried and decided to go looking for him. She headed into the men's room, silently cursing how they never seemed to have the lines that the women's did, and found his cane behind one of the stalls. She could see his knees bent on the floor and for a moment, worried he had the stomach flu. Then, she heard his rapid breathing. He wasn't sick, he was having a panic attack.

Suddenly, she felt like a huge idiot. Crowds weren't easy for everyone and she hadn't even asked him how he felt about them. They were fine for her, yet she had her own experience with panic attacks after her mother died. Sometimes, it was best to just be left alone.

Bruce got his way through the attack and pulled himself back up to his feet. Splashing some cold water in his face, he let out a few shallow breaths. The concert couldn't last much longer, he'd get through it. When he made his way out, he was surprised to find Lacey standing there.

"Lacey…"

"It's getting a little hot in there," she interrupted. "The concert's almost over, do you mind if we ditch and just go get something to eat? There's this quiet diner about 5 minutes away. It's no Granny's, but the burgers are really good."

He wanted to protest at first, clearly she had figured out what was going on. Then, he saw the genuine light in her eyes. Milah would've been annoyed, pissed. Lacey, actually cared. She wasn't asking any questions, she was giving him the necessary space. Still, she was helping all the same.

"That sounds like a great idea," he said. "Maybe I can play you some real music in the car."

"Hey! Rock is real music."

"It's loud."

Lacey playfully rolled her eyes and slipped her arm through his. "Let's see what you're a fan of, Mr. Gold."

A smirk fell across his lips. "As you wish, Miss French."


End file.
